Monthly Archives: October 2013

A recent ranking from the conservative group, the Cato Institute, ranks Maine 41st in the nation in supporting its most needy. Political analysts Phil Harriman and Ethan Strimling debate whether that is where we want to be, whether we should do more, or whether it is too high. Additionally, next Tuesday, Maine voters will be […]

A couple of weeks ago I wrote about state Sen. Emily Cain receiving the endorsement of EMILY’s List in her campaign to win the Democratic nomination in Maine’s 2nd Congressional District. In that piece, I mentioned that state Sen. Troy Jackson was working hard to match Cain’s endorsement with significant labor support. It appears he […]

Phil: After the BP oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico, do you recall President Obama declaring that he went down there to find out whose ass to kick? Ethan: I do. And it worked because today the Gulf states are recovering. Why do you ask? Phil: Well I suspect (hope!) there is some major […]

As the recently “averted” political and economic crisis got kicked down the road, many pundits are referring to a civil war within the Republican Party: the tea party vs. moderate Republicans. Unfortunately, this statement is not accurate. Based on the actual votes, it appears they have become one and the same. I always say to […]

The biggest knock on former Treasurer Bruce Poliquin’s campaign to win Maine’s 2nd Congressional District (besides being a tea party Republican) is the carpetbagger label he will have to overcome. He has lived in Georgetown for almost 20 years, which is at least an hour’s drive from the closest town in the district. And his […]

Ethan: Now that the Republican brand has dropped to an historic low of 24 percent approval, any advice you’d like to offer your party? Phil: Your question overlooks the 39 percent approval of Democrats, even after the president and his media have blamed Republicans for all that is wrong in D.C. Wouldn’t you agree that approval […]

The company from Norway that wanted to build a wind farm off the coast of Maine has pulled the plug on the project. Statoil had first proposed it nearly three years ago. But, it recently put its plan on hold after the LePage administration pushed to reopen the competitive bidding process so that a company […]

A very important announcement in the Democratic primary for Congress in Maine’s 2nd District (Rep. Mike Michaud’s district) received minimal press last week. The organizational powerhouse for pro-choice democratic women, EMILY’s List, endorsed Emily Cain for Congress. Why is this significant? Two reasons. First, EMILY’s List is very rigorous in their endorsement process. There are […]

Recently, Scott Thistle wrote a great piece about the Ethics Commission’s case against two people who wanted to convince voters in 2011 to create a casino in Lewiston. The individuals, Stavros Mendros and Peter Robinson, are accused of not disclosing the identities of three shady donors. Buried deep in the story was a reference to […]

Ethan: Are you surprised that the backers of the Lewiston casino may be fined tens of thousands of dollars for deceiving the public about where their investors were from? Not me. Phil: Me neither. The amount of money these things can suck out of an economy to line the pockets of out-of-state investors is unbelievable. […]

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Weekly Updates

Each week on Friday a new column written by both Ethan and Phil will be posted here on their blog. Additionally check this site out often for other snippets and video footage of the two of them debating the issues.

About the Authors

Ethan Strimling served in the Maine State Senate as Chair of the Labor Committee, Criminal Justice Committee, and the Homeland Security Task Force, while also serving on Taxation for six years. Prior to, he ran a national PAC focused on electing young leaders and provided policy analysis to Maine US Congressman Tom Andrews. He is currently the CEO of LearningWorks, a not-for-profit providing learning opportunities for at-risk youth, the immigrant community, and low-income families. He also serves as a Senior Political Analyst for WCSH/WLBZ TV and for WGAN radio.

Philip Harriman is the former Chairman of the Yarmouth Town Council and four term State Senator. During his Senate terms he was the ranking Republican on the Appropriations, Health and Human Services, Utilities & Energy and Natural Resources Committees. Harriman is a co-founder of Lebel & Harriman, LLP, a business succession, retirement and estate planning firm located in Falmouth, Maine. He has been in the financial planning profession for over 30 years, starting with former Maine Governor James B. Longley's life insurance agency in 1978. He is the host of Inside Maine heard on 560WGAN News Radio and delivers political opinion and analysis for WCSH & WLBZ the NBC television affiliates in Maine.